MESSENT, Charles

1911 - 1971

Charles Messent was born at Landguard Fort, Felixstowe, Suffolk on 1 March 1911, son of Malcolm Zacchaeus Messent (1869-25 December 1938), a quarter-master sergeant in the Royal Engineers based at the Fort, and his second wife Aimee Elizabeth née Hindes (22 April 1882-19 December 1960), who had married at Norwich the previous year. 42-year-old Malcolm and 28-year-old Aimee were still at the Fort in 1911, with a son 6-year-old son Thomas by his first wife Margaret Jane McKenzie, who married at Aberdeen on 30 April 1903, who was born in Aberdeen, and by his second wife son baby Charles but by 1921 they had moved to 89 Kingswood Road, Gillingham, where Malcom was a clerk in the War Department, with another son Paul 6 who was born at Gillingham. Charles studied at the Manchester School of Art and privately in Alexandria, Egypt under Mohammed Seif al-Din Wanly (1906-1979). A founder member of the Manchester Art Group and exhibited widely, especially in the North of England, including Manchester City Art Gallery, Whitechapel Art Gallery, New English Art Club and at the Paris Salon. Charles married at Barton-upon-Irwell, Lancashire in 1938, Eveline Higham (17 November 1905-19 March 1998) and in 1939 a 'drapery artist, men's wear' living at 69 Derbyshire Lane, Stretford, Manchester with his wife Eveline, a solicitor's clerk. They later lived at London Road, Friars Oak, Hassocks, Sussex and Charles Messent died at Hillcrest, Batcombe Road, Leigh, Dorset on 30 September 1971.

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Works by This Artist